During a meeting at the Municipal Council of Asunción, the project “Huertas Urbanas” (Urban vegetable gardens) was presented, in cooperation with the Fundación Paraguaya, and at the request of the president of the Municipal Council of the capital, Humberto Blasco. The project is based on family vegetable gardens promoted by the Cerrito Stoplight Initiative, which became more relevant during the health crisis caused by Covid-19.

“With the help of the Fundación Paraguaya, we are starting a very interesting pilot plan in order to implement urban vegetable gardens that will benefit families in Asunción, through a project that wants to take advantage of the physical spaces available in the different neighborhoods for the production of organic vegetables and fruits,” said Councilman Blasco, in the presence of the other councilors, members of community groups, coordinators of municipal centers and representatives of the Fundación Paraguaya.

The project is born from the need to help families with lower economic resources, in addition to all those that were affected by the health crisis. These urban gardens seek to provide economic resources for self-sufficient food and also ensure the consumption of healthy food. The Municipal Council turned to the Fundación Paraguaya because of its experience and track record through various programs, including the aforementioned Cerrito Stoplight Initiative, where the family vegetable garden project was carried out, as well as the experience of the Cerrito Agricultural School.

The agreement will mark a technical assistance by the Fundación Paraguaya, to those in charge of implementing it by the Municipality of Asunción, in addition to the constant accompaniment during the development of this project. “This will be a trend that will be implemented worldwide, urban organic production, and in this sense, the Fundación Paraguaya, with its great experience in Villa Hayes, will be able to pass on its experience and now we will begin the pilot plan in Asunción,” he said.

The coordinators of the Cerrito Stoplight Initiative, Celsa Acosta and Fernando Pfannl; and Lourdes Agüero, manager of the Poverty Stoplight attended on behalf of Fundación Paraguaya.